Automatic fire-extinguisher.



(No Model.)

F'IG.4..

F'ICI.

Patented Oct. l0, I899.

0. HDFFMANN.

AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHER.

(Application filed Kay 10, 1808.)

STAT-ES OTTO HOFFMANN, OF WITHINGTON, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 634,457, dated October 10,1899.

I Application filed May 10, 1898. Serial No. 680,312. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OTTO HOFFMANN, engineer, a subject-oi the Emperor of Germany, residing at 18 Wellington road, Within gton, near Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Connected with Automatic Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

My said invention relates to improvements in or connected with automatic fire extinguishers of the sprinkler type; and it consists, mainly, of a system of levers to maintain the valve of the spindle upon its seat, which levers serve also to effect a rapid opening of the Valve when required.

In order that my invention may be properly understood, I will describe the same with reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 represents in outside elevation a sprinkler constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the arrangement of levers at right angles to Fig. 1. r Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the sprinkler, showing more clearly the arrangement of levers. Fig. 4: is an outside elevation of the sprinklerat right angles to Fig. 3 after the disruption of the levers and the fall of the valve. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the arrangement of levers,

showing the points where power is exerted. In carrying my invention into eifect I form the sprinkler-head with a valve-seating to accommodate a valve a, preferably made of aluminium. To support the valve a upon its seating in the sprinkler-head, I provide an inclined lever b,the lower end of which is formed with a projection b, which sits loosely within a recess 0, formed in the end of an adjustingscrew d. This regulating screw d passes through the center of the usual disperser-diaphragm 6. Instead of an adjustable screw a fixed projection may be employed, if desired. At about the center of the lever 19 I form a notch or support 72*, upon which rests a short lever f, which is inclined in a contrary direction to the lever 17. The lower end of the lever f rests upon the notch or support 19 of the lever b, the upper end being formed with a projection f, engaging with a recess a of the valve a.

Within the sprinkler-head is screwed a ring g, formed with an annular groove or recess 9, within which I place the hooked end of a long lever h. The lower end of the lever bis provided with a bolt 1', and the upper end of this lever bears against the hooked lever h, as will be clearly seen from an inspection of the drawings. The bolt t is arranged to be passed through a slit h, formed at the lower end of the lever h. By pressing the lower end-of the lever h inward, the lever 7t bearing upon the upper end of the lever b, the two short an gularly-disposed levers l) f are also pressed inward with an elastic pressure,,thus securely holding the valve or upon its seat. The pressure may be increased by screwing up the regulating-screw (l, which will have the tendency to increase the angle of levers l) and f. The bolt 2', having been passed through the slit h of the lever h, is secured by means of the wedge j, fusible metal being employed to maintain the wedge in posi tion. The disperser-diaphragm is connected to the head of the sprinkler by arms 7;, one of these arms being shown broken away in Fig. 1 to more clearly show the arrangement of levers.

From an inspection of the diagram Fig. 5 it will be noted that on pressing the lower end of the long lever h inward in the direction of the arrow the pressure is communicated to the top of the lever h at the point where the broken end bears in the annular recess in the direction of the arrow 1, and the pressure is communicated to the top of the lever Z), exerting a force in the direction of the arrow 2. The force is then communicated to the center of the lever 19 at the point and in the direction of the arrow 3 and also in an upward and downward direction, as shown by the arrows 4 and 5. As the pressure thus applied to the hooked lever h thrusts the levers I) f in a direction tending to make them assume a straight line, the leverage exerted is not only very great, but also an elastic pressure is brought to bear upon them. When, therefore, the fusible metal is melted by the increase of temperature caused by a fire, the wcdgej is at once ejected from the bolt 1', the hooked leverh springs outward, and the angular valve-supporting levers I) f at once collapse and the valve isopened by the water-pressure, as shown in Fig. 4. The sprinkler-head may be placed either above or below the water-pipe, as the elastic pressure exerted by the hooked lever h is fully adequate to eifeot the complete disruption of the levers in any position in which the sprinkler-head may be placed.

I do not confine myself to the exact method of securing the levers by the fusible metal, as described, as this may be varied. The method shown, however, has distinct advantages. For instance, it is found in practice that on continued exposure to the atmosphere fusible metal becomes oxidized and softened, thus rendering the sprinkler liable to be brought into action when not required simply by being unable to withstand any pressure which may be exerted upon it. By employing a wedge held in position by the fusibe metal the fusible metal entering the bolt on each side of the wedge is protected to a very large extent and shielded from atmospheric contact. In

case, therefore, any excess of the fusible metal outside the bolt should be affected by atmospheric influences the fusible metal in the bolt being protected as described is unaffected thereby and is sufficient to retain the wedge and an outwardly-extending upper end, a second strut member f extending between said shoulder and the valve, said strut members being angular-1y arranged with relation to each other, an annular groove in the sprinkler-head, a bar or lever having its upper end' seated in said groove and a pin fusibly connecting the lower end of the bar with the lower portion of the strut member I), the intermediate portion of said bar It having a free bearing against the outwardly-extendin g end of the strut member I), substantially as described.

2. In combination, the sprinkler-head, a ring 9 threaded therein having an inner annular groove or channel, a valve-seat on said head, a support for the strut, a strut member I) having one end seated on said support and having an outwardly-bent upper portion and a shoulder, a second strut memberfextending between said shoulder and the valve, a bar h having a lateral extension in its upper end detachably engaging said groove and a pin fusibly connecting the lower end of said bar 7L with the lower portion of the strut member b, the intermediate portion of the bar It bearing freely against the outwardly-extending end of the strut member I), substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO I-IOFFMANN.

IVitnesses:

JOSHUA ENTWIsLE, RICHARD IBBERSON. 

